Exerciser



Nov. 17, 1931. A. A. HENDRICKSON, JR 1,332,633

EXERCISER Filed Feb. 21, 1950 Patented Nov. 17, 1931 ABRAM A. HENDRICKSON, JR., OE HACKENSACK, NEW JERSEY EXERCISER Application filed February 21, 1930. Serial No. 430,161.

This invention relates to an exerciser comprising a pair of handles having a flat rubher band or bands held between them, and it has special reference to the fastening device for holding the band to the handle. Another object of the invention is to construct the rubher band with a bead on the end having an elongated fillet to eliminate weakness at this point.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon a further study of the descrip tion and drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan of the exerciser, Fig. 2 is an end elevation of same, Fig. 3 is a cross-section, to an enlarged scale, taken along line 3-2) of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a partial longitudinal section. to an enlarged scale, taken along line -i-4 of Fig. 1, Fig. 5'is a perspective view of a portion of the handle showing the fastening device, Fig. 6 is an end elevation of a portion of the rubber band near one end showing a circular bead and Fig. 7 is an end elevation of a. portion of the rubber band near one end showing a pear-shaped bead.

The handle, denoted gene-rally by the numeral 18, comprises a heavy piece of wire bent into a substantially U shaped form with the end of the legs 8 forming the U, bent inward as at 9. A hand grip 19' of wood, bakelite or other suitable material is sprung between ends 9.

The fastening device, denoted generally by the numeral 10, is bent up out of a lighter wire than the handles 18. It comprises arms 14 having spring loop-13 formed between them at one end. The other end of each arm 14 is bent into a hook 12. Spring loop 13 fits over one leg 8 of the handle, while hooks 12 are pressed against the sides of the other leg 8 by the tension in spring loop 13 when the fastening device is in closed position as indicated by the solid lines in Fig. 5. The dotted position for arm 14 in Fig. 5, shows the normal position it would assume under the action of spring loop 13 with the other arm 14 engaged by its hook 1:2 with leg 8 of the handle.

Rubber bands 11 are held to the handles 18 by the fastening devices 10. The upper band 11 is inserted under the upper arm 14 cross-bar 15 of handle 18 with bead 16 extending beyond to the right. The lower band 11 is inserted over lower arm 14, and under cross-bar 15 with bead 17 extending to the right. The other end of the rubber bands ll are fastened in a similar manner to the other handle. The arms 14 form slots with cross-bar 15 on substantially opposite sides of said bar.

When hooks 12 are brought into engagement with leg 8 as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 5, they pinch rubber bands 11 between them. When said bands are put under tension by pulling handles 18 away from each other, there is a further gripping of rubber bands 11 between arms 14 and cross-bar 15 due to the sliding of said arms toward cross-bar 15. The presence of beads 16 and 17 assure the gripping, in fact even if arms 14 did not pinch the rubber bands between them, said beads would prevent the rubber bands from being pulled away from the handle.

The pear-shaped bead 20, Fig. 7, or in other words, a head with an elongated fillet, I;

has the advantage over the circular bead 16, Fig. 6, in that there is an extra thickness of rubber at the fillet, improving the gripping action and reducing the tendency for the band to rupture and wear out at this point.

As is usual with exercisers having flexible resilient bands, it is often desired to use only one band instead of two, or more than two bands. The construction is adapted to grip these different numbers of bands.

I claim:

1. In an exercising device, the combination of a pair of handles, a rubber band, having a bead formed on each end, extending between said handles, and a fastening device for holding said band to the handles, said handles being formed with a cross-bar having legs extending therefrom substantially at rightangles to said bar, said fastening device comprising a pair of arms slidably mounted upon said handle with said arms substantially parallel to said crossbar, said rubber band passing'between one of said arms and the cross-bar, with the bead located n uu just beyond the arm, whereby said bead prevents the separation of said band from the handle when the band is subjected to tension.

2. In an exercising device comprising a pair of handles and a rubber band having a bead at each end adapted to be stretched between said handles, one of said handles formed ith a cross-bar and legs extending therefrom substantially at right angles to said cross-bar, a fastening device comprising a pair of arms slidably mounted upon said handle with said arms substantially parallel to said cross-bar for forming a pair of slots with said cross-bar through one of which said rubber band passes, said bead by forcing its corresponding arm toward said cross-bar, preventing withdrawal of said band from tne slot when the band is subjected to tension.

3. In an exercising device comprising a pair of handles and substantially flat rubber means, having beads at its ends, adapted to be stretched between said handles, one of said handles formed with a cross-bar and legs extending therefrom substantially at right angles to said cross-bar, a fastening device comprising a pair of arms connected by a spring loop at one end normally holding the arms away from each other, and provided with oppositely directed hooks at their other ids, said loop being slidably mounted on one of said legs, the hooks of said arms being spring pressed against the other of said legs, said rubber means passing between said arms and the cross-bar, with the beads located beyond said arms. a. In an exercising device comprising a pair of handles and substantially fiat rubber means adapted to be stretched between said handles, a fastening device, for holding said means to the handles, formed of a piece of wire bent into a pair of arms with a loop between them at one end and oppositely directed hooks at the other, said loop normally resiliently holding the hooked ends of said arms away from each other, with the convex sides of said hooks facing each other.

in exercising device comprising a pair of handles, a pair of substantially iiat rubber bands adapted to be stretched between said handles, said bands being provided with heads at their ends, the handles comprising a piece of wire bent to form a cross-bar with a pair of extending therefrom substantially atright angles to said cross-bar, and a fastening device comprising a pair of arms connected by a spring loop at one end normally pointing the arms away from each other and provided with oppositely directed books at their other ends, said loop being slidably mounted on one of said legs, the hooks of said arms being spring pressed against the other of. said legs, said arms iorming slots with the cross-bar, one on either side thereof, said rubber bands passing on opposite sides of said crossbar with tially into a U form, the free ends of the U being bent into hooks oppositely directed, said fastening device cooperating with the handle to grip said means.

7. In an. exercising device con'iprising a pair of handles each handle consisting of apiece of wire bent to form a cross-bar with a pair of legs extending therefrom substantially at 1t angles to said cross-bar, a pair of substantially fiat rubber bands adapted to be stretched between said handles, said bands being provided with heads at their ends, and a fastening device comprising a pair of arms connected by a sprin loop at one end and provided with oppositely directed hooks at their other ends, said loop being slidably mounted on one of said legs, the hooks of said arms being spring pressed against the other of said legs, said arms forming slots with the cross-bar, one on either side thereof, said rubber bands passing on opposite sides of said cross-bar with each hand through a slot with its head beyond the slot, said beads being wedged against each other and forcing said arms toward the cross-bar when said bands are placed under tension.

8. In an exercising device comprising a pair of handles and substantially flat resilicnt means adapted to be stretched between said handles, each handle formed with a cross-bar and legs extending therefrom substantially at right angles to said cross-bar, a fastening device comprisin a pair of arms slidably mounted upon said legs, said arms being substantially parallel to said cross-bar, forming slots with said cross-bar through which said resilient means pass, the longitudinal axis of one arm being on one side of the longitudinal axis of said cross-bar while the longitudinal axis of the other arm is on the other side of the longitudinal axis of the cross-bar.

ABRAM A. HENDRICKSON, JR. 

